An Israeli member of the Likud Party in the Knesset, Osher Shekalim, has introduced a proposed legislation mandating that frozen Palestinian tax funds be used by the Israeli government for the treatment and compensation of Israelis impacted by “attacks” carried out by Palestinians.
According to Wafa news agency, approximately $200 million of Palestinian tax funds continue to be withheld by Israeli occupation authorities, preventing the Palestinian Authority (PA) from disbursing salaries to its 140,000 public employees.
The proposed legislation comes despite Israel’s Haaretz daily newspaper reporting on a security assessment of events on 7 October, which found that Israeli military helicopters had shot at and killed revellers at the Nova Festival.
Moreover, Israeli witnesses have come forward and revealed that on the day of the assault, Israeli tanks targeted both their own citizens and members of the Palestinian resistance, leading to the deaths of Israelis, including children.
Yasmin Porat, an Israeli survivor of a hostage standoff in Be’eri, detailed how Israeli Special Forces “undoubtedly” killed hostages including her partner who was gunned down, along with other hostages in the chaotic shooting.
The tax revenues – known in Palestine and Israel as maqasa – are collected by the Israeli government on behalf of the PA and relate to Palestinian imports and exports. In return, Israel earns three per cent commission.
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The revenues are estimated to total around $188 million every month and represent the main source of income for the PA. It uses the funds to pay the salaries of public employees and retirees, who number 140,000 and 53,000 respectively.
The Palestinian Authority, last month, refused to accept a partial transfer of tax revenues collected by the occupation state on its behalf because Israel is withholding money allocated for the Gaza Strip.
“The unity of the land and the people is a non-negotiable Palestinian decision, and the aspects of spending the Authority’s budget are determined by the Government of Palestine,” Hussein Al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee said on X.